Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are used in a variety of applications due to their desirable characteristics such as tackiness at room temperature, bondability using a minimal amount of bonding pressure, bonding strength, and ease of application. However, in some applications, PSAs do not provide needed adhesive layer properties. For example, application of conventional PSAs on acrylic sheets and polycarbonate sheets that are known to be “out-gassing materials” and difficult to bond, may result in bubbling and delamination. In addition, conventional PSAs flow over time and/or lose any structural or topographical features, such as microstructures and/or macrostructures, present within the PSA layer when exposed to elevated temperatures and/or pressures.
Curable adhesives (e.g. heat or light cured) are also used in a number of applications. Curable adhesives have a number of desirable characteristics, such as substantial permanency and high strength adherence; however, conventional curable adhesives do not possess the desirable features of PSAs described above, such as initial tackiness.